Pandora’s Legacy (TED-Ed) // Review

Pandora’s Legacy is an epic tabletop puzzle adventure from creatives Alex Rosenthal (TED-Ed), Rita Orlov (PostCurious) and Senne Trip. The trio are breaking new ground in the puzzle space, with a jigsaw/escape room hybrid unlike anything you’ve experienced before.

Players: 1+ // Age: 14+ // Playtime: 12+ hours // Resettable: Yes

What you need: A pencil and paper. An internet-connected device.

Please note: TED-Ed sent me Pandora’s Legacy in exchange for an honest review. As the copy I received is a prototype, the artwork and components may differ slightly from the final product. Based on player feedback and testing, gameplay refinements are also being made before release.

Initial thoughts

This is a SPOILER-FREE review based on a prototype of Pandora’s Legacy.

Is there anything more magical and alluring than the arrival of a mysterious box filled with puzzling secrets? I think not. In this case, it’s even more poetic as the game is based around the well-known Greek mythology of Pandora’s Box. In that legend, Pandora was the first woman on Earth, created by the gods who gifted her a precious box. Despite forbidding her to open it, she doesn’t take long to succumb to curiosity and lift the lid. Unspeakable horrors are unleashed upon the world, and as she realises what she’s done and closes the box, she finds that only hope remains inside.

In Pandora’s Legacy, the box is full of a different kind of trouble – a 1200+ piece jigsaw with unusual pieces and cryptic challenges that will test your puzzle-solving skills. The game was dreamt up by a team of talented creatives who bring a wealth of skills to the project. Alex Rosenthal, Editorial Director of TED-Ed Animations, leads the production with a passion for puzzles. He is joined by Rita Orlov, an experienced puzzle creator and the founder of PostCurious. Illustrator/artist Senne Trip rounds out the trio, using her extensive skills and experience to breathe life into the epic visuals.

Presentation

The box design is exquisite with gold detailing and wonderful artwork that’s simple yet intricate. The lid glides off smoothly to reveal a collection of boxes and envelopes of various sizes. Each shares a similar design and sports a unique letter from the Greek alphabet for easy reference. Without giving too much away, there are some interesting physical components contained within these. They are varied and well-made, each adding a more tactile element to gameplay.

The vibrant jigsaw features a captivating vista of intriguing landscapes inspired by Greek mythology. The distinctive and colourful artwork by illustrator Senne Trip does a fantastic job of capturing a sense of wonder and discovery. The jigsaw is also packed full of mythological creatures, mischievous imps and other hidden details that you’ll uncover as you assemble it.

Gameplay

Introduction

While Pandora’s Legacy can be played solo, it is a lot of fun playing with others. The jigsaw is sizeable enough that it can be tackled by multiple players, while the mix of puzzle types would benefit from different ways of thinking. My partner loved dipping in to help with the jigsaw assembly, and I became adept at puzzling upside down (from across the table).

During my playthrough, I was able to access the online interface using my laptop or a tablet. I’d recommend using a larger screen if you can, as this will allow you to see the details on the World Map more clearly. When the game officially launches, it will also be mobile responsive, so you’ll be able to use a smartphone.

This is a new breed of hybrid game consisting of physical components, such as the jigsaw puzzle, and an online interface. I’ll dive into each of these in more detail:

The World Map (Jigsaw)

The main focal point for the game is the multi-stage jigsaw puzzle. It comprises over 1200 pieces that build up into a colourful World Map of Ancient Greece. But this isn’t just a standard jigsaw puzzle. You can expect to find oddly shaped puzzle pieces among the more traditional ones. Paired with the fact that the game mostly lacks the usual straight edge pieces you’d expect in a jigsaw, this increases the level of challenge.

You’ll start the game with access to a large section of the jigsaw and will unlock subsequent ‘realms’ as you play through the game. With each realm that you unlock, the overall picture becomes clearer and further puzzles will be added to the online interface. It’s such a clever and rewarding way of structuring the game. I often felt compelled to push through a tricky puzzle just to unlock the next section of the jigsaw.

It is worth noting that the jigsaw will take up a large space (100x50cm/40×20 inches). Also, given the average playtime is 12+ hours, I’d recommend assembling it somewhere that you can leave it for a decent chunk of time. Mine stayed on the dining room table for a week or so, as my partner and I slowly chipped away at it.

Fairly early on in the game, you’ll unlock the Caduceus (pictured below). It’s a handy tool for carefully removing specific puzzle pieces from the jigsaw. It’s a quality component with a decent weight to it and certainly gets a lot of use throughout the game. This isn’t the last physical component that you’ll come across, but I’m keeping my lips sealed about the rest of them…

Online Interface

Why might you need to remove puzzle pieces? Well! Each piece contains a unique reference number on the back that will be used to help solve puzzles. These numbers can be entered into a number lookup tool on the online interface. If correct, this will unlock a key piece of information to help solve the puzzle.

The ‘escape room’ element of the game is driven by an intuitive online web interface that controls the flow of the game. When you first log on (no sign-up required), you’ll be treated to a wonderful animation that sets up the game. This wasn’t available when I played through the prototype, however, I have since been treated to a sneak peek, and it looks superb! The online version of the ‘World Map’ will then load, acting as an interactive hub. It depicts a version of the jigsaw puzzle image, but without all of the characters. As you progress through the story, new clickable icons will appear across the map and unlock subsequent puzzles. At the start, the four corners of the World Map are shrouded in mist, showing that these ‘realms’ are currently undiscovered.

Your progress is saved as you go, which makes it easy to end a play session and return to it at a later point. A handy ‘Story so far’ section brings you up to speed on previous events when you do return to the game. This is particularly helpful if you are playing over multiple sittings or have had to pause for an extended break.

Puzzles

While the 1200+ piece jigsaw is a challenge in itself, there is also a great selection of escape-game-style puzzles to sink your teeth into. The variety packed into this box is impressive, ranging from logic puzzles to more tactile physical challenges. Some that spring to mind include fun pop culture references, story cards, a hedge and music. You’ll also need a keen eye to spot the small hidden details in the jigsaw and connect them with other physical components.

I experienced a small handful of issues while tackling some of the puzzles, many of which are already being remedied after play testing. I am 100% confident that the team will iron out these kinks before the official release. They have been hugely responsive to feedback and are laser-focused on making the best experience possible.

Fans of Rita Orlov will likely spot her fingerprints all over the game. A particular puzzle involving shields reminded me of her game Adrift, and the penultimate puzzle felt familiar, yet different. Suffice to say, if you love PostCurious, then you will feel right at home here.

Hints & Difficulty

It is particularly hard to pinpoint the difficulty level on a game like this, because it will be dependent on experience levels in two areas. I have done my fair share of jigsaws over the years, but found this one to be challenging enough, but not so difficult that it became frustrating. The escape-room-style puzzles provided a good level of challenge as well, and I did need to reach for the hints at a couple of points. Overall, I’d pitch it at a medium difficulty for seasoned players (with a good amount of challenge) and medium to hard for others.

I found the hint system to be mostly fine, however, I would have preferred more granular hints for a couple of the puzzles. I’ve fed this back to the designers who are already working on fixing this before the final release.

Verdict